Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



JOSEPH DUVAL, OF LAPRAIRIE, CANADA.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,159, dated January 30, 1h72.

SPECIFICATION. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH DUVAL, of the town of Laprairie, in the county of Laprairie, in the Province of Quebec, Canada, mechanic, have invented new and useful Improvements on Breech-Loadin g Ritles, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe construction and operation ofthe same, reference being had to the annexed drawing, where- Figure l represents a side elevation ot' the breech of a riiie. Fig. 2 represents a plan of the breech of a rifle. Fig. 3 represents a sectional elevation of the breech of a riiie with parts in the position assumedwhen discharged. Fig. 4 represent-s a sectional elevation of the breech of a riiie with the parts in the position assumed at extracting exploded cartridge. Fig. 5 represents aplan ot' extractor. Fig. 6 represents a side view ot extractor. Fig. 7 represents a front view of extractor.

This invention has reference to improvements on breech-loading rides for simplifying their parts, rendering them more durable as regards wear, and capable of being loaded and discharged with great ease and rapidity.

I would here remark that I have already obtained Letters Patent of the United States No. 112,565, granted on the 14th day of March, 1871, for a similar invention. The present application consists in further improvements on the then patented invention.

In the drawing hereunto annexed similar' letters of reference indicate like parts.

Letter a is the ride or other barrel, ot ordinary construction, and may be made in one with the box b, or screwed into it in the ordinary or any suitable manner. The box I) at its other extremity is provided with the ordinary extensions c c1 for attaching the stock. The box b consists of two flat sides, of the form indicated in the drawing, having a space between them in which the trigger and other works are placed. These are constructed in the following manner: The top edges ot' the sides of the box b are curved in the forni shown at c2, forming a projection, c3. At this point the sides meet across, forming a resistance, c4, for the breech-block d, attached by its end at this point by the pivot d. The top side of the breech-block 'd is made to conform to the curved contguration ofthe sides at c2, and of sufficient length that when it is raised to cover the end oi' the barrel a it will do so closely, but withoutbearing or friction, being then in the position shown in Fig. 3. Through the body ofthe breech-block dy a hole is bored for holding the needle c, constructed in the ordinary manner for this class of arm, and provided, as shown, with the ordinary spring. All the above agrees with my previously-patented invention. f In this case the needle e is actuated by a pin, e', sliding through a hole bored in the resistance c4, and so situated that its inner end will be in the proper position to act on the en d ot' the needle e and its outer end to be struck by the hammer. As the pin e and needle e are not in the same line, the inner end of the pin e is, as shown, rounded, in order to insure the certainty ot' act-ion. As in my previous invention, the hammer f, secured to the box b by a pivot, j", is actuated by a spring, f2, held in position by a projection, f3,- in this case, however, curved at the inner end to receive the arm ot' a link, f4, attached to one fork of the lower end oi' the hammer, to the other fork being lsecured the tumbler g, of the peculiar configuration shown, slotted as at g1 to allow the lever to work upon the pin g2, and provided at its further end with a pin, g3, which works in a slot, h, formed in a Bange, h, carried down from the under side of the breechblock d. The trigger i is, as before, of the ordinary form, secured on a pivot-pin, t1, and pressed by a spring, 2, against the front side of the hammer, with the notches on which it intermeshes at the diii'erent positions of halfcock77 and i't'ull cock. At 7c `is situated a spring, let in iush to the top ofthe breech and turned down as at la', so as-to t into a notch in the breech-block d, assisting to hold mit in place during the explosion of the cartridge, and helping to throw out the shell when it is acted upon by the extractor Il. The extractor, which dit'ters materially from that described in my previous invention, is of the form shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, and works on a pivot, t1. The back L2 is cut away, as shown in Fig. 6, to fit the end of the barrel, and the sides provided with projections Z8 to catch the rim ot' the cartridge. From the back L2 proiccts downward a tongue, Z4, set at any convenient angle with the rest of the extractor, to be acted upon by the end ofthe tumbler g.

l will now proceed to describe the. operation of my invention. Presuming that the rilie has lirst been discharged, in which case the parts would be in the position shown in Fig. 3, the manner in which the exploded shell is thrown out and the breech thrown open for loading, is as follows: The cock being drawn back to the position shown in Fig. 4, the tumbler g is, by the action of the hammer h, pushed for ward, the slot g1 sliding upon the pin g2, and the pin g3, working in the slot h, causes the breech-block d to fall to the. position shown in Fig. 4. The end ot' the tumbler g, in its forward movement, strikes sharply at the end of yits stroke the tongue Z4 of the extractor l. By

this the upper portion ot' the extractor is thrown backward, and the projections Z3, catching the rim oi' the shell, throws out the exploded cartridge, the curved line of the top of the breech-block d a-nd the projection k at the end of thel spring 7c assisting` materially in its removal. The riiie is now ready for the insertion'oi' a new cartridge, which being done, by pulling the trigger the hammer is released, and, by the action of the spring f2, springs back and strikes the pin c, which drives the needle e against the center of the cartridge, discharging the piece, all the parts resuming the several positions shown in Fig. 3.

Some ot' the advantages of the construction above described are as follows: The combination ot' the tumbler and that of the iiange of the breech-block is more desirable than that shown in my former patents, because the parts possess more strength and are better adapted to bear the strain to which they are subjected,

plosion can ta-ke place until the breech is en! tirel y closed. The construction of the tumbler is such, also, that the extractor receives a .sharp blow at the end of the movement of the former, by which means the cartridge is ejected with considerable force.

Having thus described the construction and operation ofl my invention, to which I have given the name of Duvals Improved Breech- Loading Ride, what I claim as my invention,

and wish secured by Letters Patent, is the new' and useful improvements on breech-loading rifles, as follows:

l. The combination ot' the tumbler g, constructed as described, with the breech-block d having the liange h', constructed as described; the former, Wh en operated by the hammer, being adapted to communicate motion to the'latter only during the lirst part of its backward movement, and vice versa, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the hammer, the tumbler g, and the extractor l, the tumbler, when operated by the hammer, being adapted to actuate the extractor at the close ot' its movement, substantially as described.

Montreal, 12th day of April, A. D. 1871.

JOSEPH DUVAL.

Witnesses:

' CHARLES G. G. SnvrPsoN,

FBAS. HY. REYNOLD. 

